B.S. in Police Science

The challenges and responsibilities of the modern police officer have undergone tremendous changes. Today’s public safety or private security officials must be prepared to meet the needs and expectations of an ever-changing, complex, and diverse society. The B.S. in Police Science prepares individuals to better meet these challenges. Together with other working professionals, students study the management, leadership, communication skills, and tools necessary to respond to societal needs. Students also have the option of choosing between specializations in Forensic Investigations, Management, and Security Management.

The program also offers a generous credit transfer policy, including credit for Minnesota POST and military training. Courses are taught by experts in the criminal justice field.

A minimum of 122 semester credits are required for graduation with the bachelor of science degree from Saint Mary's University. All students must meet the general education credit requirements. A minimum of 36 credits is needed to complete the B.S. in Police Science program.

Students may complete the general B.S. in Police Science program or choose to add an additional specialization in one of the following: Management, Security Management, or Forensic Investigation. Students choosing to specialize take an additional 12 credits (36 core program credits + 12 specialization credits = 48 credits total).

This course examines the ever changing landscape facing law enforcement today. It focuses on the changing role and societal expectations of law enforcement agencies in dealing with the challenges of an aging population, managing multiple generations, and the continued growth of new immigrant populations. The course also addresses the need for collaborative partnerships with all sectors of the community and government entities.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Define ethnicity and articulate its connection to related culture, class, gender, and racism.

Recognize and articulate dynamics and effects of racism, privilege, discrimination, and ignorance in our understanding of multiculturalism.

This course examines the application of the rules of evidence based on constitutional, statutory, and jurisdictional matters. This course is designed to build on the basic skills of the officers. Methods of interviewing and methods of maintaining crime scene integrity are discussed.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand each of the rules of evidence covered.

Discuss any major differences between the state and federal rules of evidence.

Understand the exclusionary rule and other key limitations on the admissibility of evidence.

This course reviews various ethical philosophies to be used as a foundation for analysis and discussion of current ethical issues facing peace officers. Strategies to deal with these issues, the effect of departmental expectations upon conduct, and the impact of officer behavior upon the community are discussed.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Apply the law enforcement code of ethics to various situations.

Understand the legal requirements of their profession.

Understand the differences among laws, rules, regulations, and policies.

This course in policing identifies techniques and technologies used for implementing community problem solving strategies. Students develop strategies to meet community needs and utilizing the emerging techniques and technologies.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Analyze the impact of cyber crime and its impact on local communities.

Explore how social media may be of use to police operations.

Ally intelligence-based policing to an identified problem.

Compare models of regionalized police services.

Develop a policy addressing the use of social media by police employees.

Analyze evolving technologies and functions of American policing.

Discuss innovations in investigative technology.

Utilize computer databases to identify information for problem solving within the community.

This course examines police leadership and management practices. It introduces selected management and leadership models and theories. This course also looks at the difference between management and leadership, formal and informal leadership, and the impact of effective leadership/management practices on police organizational environments.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course integrates knowledge, skills, and tools developed in previous courses and provides an opportunity to apply them to a selected topic. Each student selects an issue currently confronting law enforcement professionals, clearly defines the question using appropriate references and resources, and creates a proposal which addresses the question. The proposal must be suitable for formal presentation to police administrators or a professional organization and the student presents the proposal to classmates.

This course provides strategies for developing a clear, concise professional writing style. A variety of writing formats are addressed. Research for professional documents, writing in an electronic environment, and collaborative writing are considered. Voice, style, audience, purpose, the writing process, and strategies for editing and revision are examined in the context of interpersonal and ethical dimensions.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Write effectively in various forms of professional writing.

Demonstrate writing in a professional environment.

Exhibit a professional voice and writing style.

Effectively incorporate relevant research into professional writing.

Understand and apply the writing process to diverse audiences and purposes.

Effectively incorporate elements of professional document design into print and electronic documents.

Communication skills pertinent to organizational settings form the foundation of this course. Effective methods for design and delivery of oral communication are examined. Other topics include communication styles, interpersonal communication skills, dynamics of small group communication, and persuasive speaking.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

Demonstrate effective and active listening skills.

Recognize and adapt to differing communication styles.

Demonstrate skill in interpersonal communication.

Understand small group dynamics.

Demonstrate persuasive speaking techniques.

Effectively create and utilize graphics or other appropriate media in professional presentations.

Academic writing focuses on reflective, informational, and persuasive writing directed at an academic audience. Clear summarization of material, critical reading of texts, thoughtful and developed responses, effective secondary research, incorporation of sources into documents, appropriate document of research using APA format, and construction of persuasive and informative academic papers are addressed. The format and style of essays and research papers are explored. The course also emphasizes the development of a strong, formal academic voice and style.

Upon completion of this course, students are exepcted to be ble to do the following:

Critically read and engage texts.

Express and explain, in a logical and developed manner, their responses to texts or ideas.

Develop a clear thesis statement and support it with evidence.

Develop a clear organization for a paper, and manage their ideas and sources within the paper.

Conduct secondary research using library databases and other appropriate academic research.

Apply APA format and documentation to a research paper.

Write in a formal academic style and voice.

Incorporate source materials effectively into their papers.

Identify and follow all ethical requirements of using source materials for a paper or presentation.

This course is designed to give students the foundations of financial accounting and reporting practices used by decision makers in today's business environments. Financial accounting methods, the accounting cycle, internal controls, and accounting practices for different types of business entities are examined. Also examined are accounting for international operations, and the preparation of both domestic and international-based financial statements.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain the basic generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Describe the different types of accounting systems.

Evaluate the information generated by and obtained from company accounting records.

Apply knowledge of accounting principles, theories, and concepts to company transactions.

Analyze and explain the impact of a particular decision on the financial statement of an entity.

Identify the various reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Describe the accounting and reporting practices encountered in various international business entities.

This introductory course examines the legal context for business, including the legal and regulatory system, the law of contracts, property laws and torts, and forms of business organization, including partnerships and corporations. The course also introduces law and regulation which affect business activities, including employment law, securities, antitrust, bankruptcy, consumer protections, and environmental laws.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Recognize the variety of legal issues present in their day-to-day business dealings and transactions.

Understand how the American legal system functions with how it interrelates with and impacts the world of business and organizations.

Make business decisions which take into account legal considerations.

Describe methods used to protect themselves and their organizations from adverse legal consequences.

This course introduces students to descriptive and inferential statistics for use in business-related applications. Measures of central tendency and dispersion, simple probability, data analysis, and statistical inference are examined. The use of computer software for analyzing statistical data is addressed.

Upon completion of this course students are expected to be able to do the following:

Extract information from sample data through both graphical and numerical methods.

Understand how probability can be used to make an inference about a population from information contained in a sample.

Determine the probabilities associated with both discrete and continuous random variables.

Estimate population means and proportions on a single sample selected from population of interest.

Use the sampling distribution of a sample statistic to assess the reliability of the estimate.

Utilize sample data from a variety of resources to make estimates, decisions, or generalizations about a larger set of data.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of financial management of organizations. Topics covered include the assessment of types of business entities and capital acquisition sources, basic financial statement analysis, the assessment of how income taxes impact the financial decision making process, the evaluation of capital projects using the time value of money concepts, management of an entity's current assets and current liabilities, and the maximization of shareholder wealth.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify and describe the various forms of business organizations and the different ways in which they are financed.

Explain the tax and financial reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Apply the principles of managing current assets and current liabilities to different types of business entities.

Assess the existence of management problems or opportunities by analyzing company financial statements and making comparisons to other companies in the same industry.

This course examines strategic human resource functions performed in organizations. It includes planning, job analysis and design, job description, recruiting and hiring, training, performance management, regulation, evaluation, benefits, and labor law. Trends impacting the field are examined, including the use of technology in managing human resource functions, and the role of human resources in a global business environment.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course provides an introduction to the practical aspects of employer and employee relationships from both union and non-union perspectives. It includes an overview of the basics of labor law and bargaining agreements, the role of the National Labor Relations Board and how each impacts performance among management, supervisors and employees in private, government and public organizations.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand the historical development of the union and non-union environments.

Identify major labor relations legislation and the government agencies charged with enforcement of these laws.

Analyze the collective bargaining process, including methods used for resolving impasses and reaching consensus.

Understand and interpret various employment laws effecting employees in a business setting.

Describe how to legally operate business within the context of employment laws.

Devise strategies and techniques to successfully manage employees while avoiding legal liability arising out of various employment laws.

This course examines the moral issues to be considered by managers in the 21st century global economy. Also examined are the ethical frameworks and reasoning skills relevant for resolving moral dilemmas in business organizations. The social, political, global, and economic environments within which moral issues occur are assessed. Finally, the legal and regulatory forces that impact ethical decision making in business organizations are examined.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Describe the moral traditions and philosophies that have influenced contemporary business ethics.

Assess the variety of ethical issues that have the potential for impacting organizations in the 21st century global economy.

Recognize the importance of ethical decision making as a component of management and leadership.

Analyze the characteristics and significance of various ethics strategies used by business organizations.

Assess the impact of globalization on ethical decision making.

Evaluate the legal and regulatory forces that impact business practices and operations.

This course presents a broad survey of theory and research on leadership. It examines classical and scientific management perspectives and considers contemporary theories and practices of organizational leadership.

This course explores the concepts and theories of management and their application in today's managerial environment. It examines the essential functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. MG307 may be taken instead of this course.

This course focuses on the ability of leaders to understand and manage organizational change. It addresses a broad-based understanding of the nature, function, and complexities of organizations. Ways of dealing with change are developed from sometimes disparate views of organizations.

This course emphasizes leadership concepts related to directing and coordinating human and material resources for relatively short-term projects that have been established to complete specific goals and objectives. The skills and procedures needed to take a project from definition through completion are presented.

This course examines the relevance and application of critical thinking and decision making techniques for leadership and management in various organizations. Students identify and evaluate their own leadership and management capabilities. The course focuses on eliciting new leadership insights, and on improving problem solving and decision-making skills. Finally, the course emphasizes the skills leaders and managers in organizations need to articulate reasoned solutions to organizational problems and opportunities.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers as problem solvers in organizations.

Assess the decision-making challenges facing leaders and managers in various organizational settings.

Utilize critical thinking as an imaginative process in organizational leadership and management.

The focus of this course is the development of total quality or continuous improvement in organizations. It reviews the phenomenon of quality, key theories and theorists, statistical process control, and quality programs. Effective team management is emphasized as one of the key components of quality.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand the managerial and philosophical meanings of quality.

Describe the continuous improvement process as it relates to manufacturing/service industries.

Formulate basic problem solving approaches to implement short term solutions and eliminate the root causes of quality problems.

Discuss quality program standards as they relate to the quality improvement process.

Develop and analyze statistical process control charts used for monitoring processes.

Discuss the different approaches to the use of teams in the quality process.

This course examines what it takes to start, nurture, and grow a business. Topics include resource gathering, business plan preparation, utilizing innovation and creativity in growing a business, risk evaluation, and leadership skills.

This course examines risk and risk-management principles. It focuses on liability issues in public safety and strategies to reduce associated risk. A key focus of the course is training as a risk management technique.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Analyze public safety risk issues.

Apply risk management principles.

Organize information using criteria that apply across different viewpoints and allow for qualitative comparisons.

This course covers budgeting, grant writing, grant management, reporting, and revenue sources used by the public sector manager. It includes financial statement analysis and asset management. It provides an ethical financial perspective to be used in the public sector.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Apply basic accounting principles.

Prepare and manage budgets.

Identify alternative funding sources.

Establish reporting requirements and procedures.

Analyze financial statements.

Evaluate global financial trends and their impact on public sector finance.

This course focuses on the role of the public safety leader as an innovator and change agent.Areas covered include creating competitive human resource strategies, internal marketing practices, innovative technology approaches, and sharing/consolidating resources between agencies.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Research and forecast future organizational staffing and technology needs.

The Public Safety Administration Field Experience is an opportunity to interact with public safety officials in other local, state, federal, or international arenas regarding common issues and practices. The areas of criminal investigations, immigration, homeland security, and delivering public safety services to diverse populations especially involve cooperative work across governing borders. The field experience provides a short-term immersion in another community, providing opportunity for comparative analysis and reflection.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Develop intercultural awareness.

Identify and analyze local and common public safety issues.

Evaluate the impact of the political, ethical, social, and policy environments that impact public safety.

Reflect on the applications of diverse frames of reference in regards to one’s leadership approach.

This course is designed to foster individual wellness through examining the effect of work environment upon officers. It examines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and strategies for creating a sense of well-being.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand the basic sources and processes of stress, with specific focus on the nature of work environment stresses.

Identify approach and avoidance coping strategies, and understand appropriate use of coping strategies to police work situations and stresses.

Discern the differences between acute stress incidents and chronic ongoing stresses and their impact in police officers' lives.

Identify experiences which are considered to be traumatic that may lead to post-traumatic stress and possible post-traumatic stress disorder.

Apply knowledge of stress and traumatic stress to developing an effective coping process for both acute and chronic stress.

This course examines workplace violence as it relates to organizations, employees and public safety responders. Topics include internal and external acts of violence, legal aspects, organizational influences, prevention, and response strategies.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Define and identify various types of workplace violence.

Relate history of workplace violence to cultural context of the organization.

This course examines the use of forensic science methodologies in the examination of crime scenes. It addresses the use of forensic science to aid in the investigation of crimes. Students learn to apply these principles to conduct ethical and objective examinations of crime scenes. Foundational principles in the use of science in a variety of criminal investigations are be discussed and applied.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course introduces the basic concepts of geographical informational systems, including purpose, hardware, software, and applications to the law enforcement community.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand the nature of geographic data and fundamentals of geographic data structures as applied to crime mapping.

Understand the nature of geographically referenced data, because incident data can be organized by geography (location of the crime), in addition to things like offender name, time of day, and type of crime.

This course examines the roles and responsibilities of the media and law enforcement when reporting crime and responding to criminal justice issues. Students identify, analyze, and describe the media relationships of various criminal justice agencies, discuss data privacy laws, explore media influence, and understand its impact on policing.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Develop an understanding of the relationship and interactions of various media outlets and law enforcement agencies.

Understand the role of media organizations and how different mediums influence public opinion.

Identify past and current issues facing the law enforcement community relating to image and public support.

Analyze police-media relationships and develop responses to current public opinion issues.

Evaluate various law enforcement media procedures and understand the importance of the public information officer.

Analyze how law enforcement organizations and their effectiveness are related to media relationships and the perception of media relationships and the perception of crime.

This course focuses on instructor techniques for the delivery of police officer training. Topics include adult learning theory, Minnesota Police Officer Standards and Training Board rules and regulations, goals and objectives, testing and evaluation, methods of instruction, lesson plan design, presentation skills, use of instructional aids, and the role of the police instructor.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of adult learning.

Create instructional goals and instructional objectives.

Design test that match the specific objectives of the lesson plans.

Demonstrate knowledge of the various methods of instruction.

Discuss the role of the police instructor.

Design and produce instructional aids.

Design lesson plans and conduct presentations using a variety of instructional techniques and visuals.

This course is designed to develop knowledge and techniques issues related to victimization, child sex abuse, stalking, family member abuse, and family violence.
Methods of investigation, preventative techniques, and access to advocacy groups are discussed.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Describe the impact of child sex abuse, stalking, family member abuse, and family violence on the individual, family, and community.

Recognize legally defined signs/symptoms of child maltreatment.

Apply various investigative techniques and methods of interviewing and interrogation appropriate for families and children.

Identify resources within the community that may aid victims in the resolution of their victimization.

Demonstrate working knowledge of applicable Minnesota State Statutes related to crimes against the family and victim/witness rights.

Apply knowledge of the effects on victims when interacting with victims and witnesses.

This course examines the legal issues that impact law enforcement leaders. Topics include human resource law, performance management, data practices, and liability issues, along with discussing proactive partnerships with unions, city councils, the community, and the courts.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain law enforcement human resource practices and laws.

Collaborate with both internal and external partners to identify and implement successful organizational strategies.

This course examines the fundamental elements of emergency management: mitigation, planning, response, and recovery. The function and interoperability of local, county, regional, and state programs are explored. Students plan, conduct, and participate in emergency management exercises.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Conduct a community hazard analysis.

Identify the responsibilities of government officials during an emergency.

This course examines Minnesota Statute 626.89 and compares it to similar statutes. Topics include anti-quota laws, officer liability, use of force, high-speed pursuits, and other areas that provide constant scrutiny of officer conduct.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Demonstrate an understanding of officer rights under the Garrity advisory.

Demonstrate an understanding of officer rights under the Tennessen advisory.

Demonstrate an understanding of officer rights under the Miranda advi

Understand the basic source of officer rights.

Identify and apply elements of officer rights to situations.

Understand the statutory rights of law enforcement officers in Minnesota (626.89).

Demonstrate an understanding of the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 14th constitutional issues in the workplace.

This course examines first line supervision responsibilities such as scheduling, daily operations, coaching, training, performance issues, discipline, employee development, and mentoring. It addresses the transition from police officer to supervisor and ethical situations involved in supervision.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Understand the supervisor’s role in management.

Apply strategies to move from police officer to supervisor.

Understand motivation strategies.

Understand strategies of working with troubled employees and problem performers.

Understand how and when to discipline.

Understand the supervisor’s role in labor relations.

Recognize an ever-changing social and work environment

Apply the latest concepts of supervisory practice and organizational behavior.

Apply training and development issues.

Understand the laws, rules, regulations, and policies required of supervisors.

This course examines the potential physical, emotional, and mental impact law enforcement careers can have on police officers. The skills law enforcement officers can adopt to implement and maintain a holistic health approach are presented. Also presented are the knowledge and skills police officers can integrate into a personalized program tailored to the specific demands of their professions.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain the concept and benefits of total fitness such as exercise, nutrition, stress management, and smoking cessation.

Plan strategies to overcome the potential negative effects of the law enforcement work environment.

Demonstrate basic knowledge of the physiology of exercise and its positive effects on individuals working in stressful careers.

Apply knowledge of health and exercise concepts in developing a personal fitness program.

Articulate basic theory of health and fitness to include sections on anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and behavioral change.

This course examines short and long-term strategies to reduce crime and maximize public safety resources. Topics include real-time intelligence gathering, crime analysis, and mapping. This course also examines the use of information systems and technology. Strategies for the deployment of personnel and planning for large-scale events are addressed.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify and apply principles of strategic policing.

Utilize databases to retrieve information such as crime statistics and trends.

This course is designed to give students the foundations of financial accounting and reporting practices used by decision makers in today's business environments. Financial accounting methods, the accounting cycle, internal controls, and accounting practices for different types of business entities are examined. Also examined are accounting for international operations, and the preparation of both domestic and international-based financial statements.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain the basic generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Describe the different types of accounting systems.

Evaluate the information generated by and obtained from company accounting records.

Apply knowledge of accounting principles, theories, and concepts to company transactions.

Analyze and explain the impact of a particular decision on the financial statement of an entity.

Identify the various reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Describe the accounting and reporting practices encountered in various international business entities.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of financial management of organizations. Topics covered include the assessment of types of business entities and capital acquisition sources, basic financial statement analysis, the assessment of how income taxes impact the financial decision making process, the evaluation of capital projects using the time value of money concepts, management of an entity's current assets and current liabilities, and the maximization of shareholder wealth.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify and describe the various forms of business organizations and the different ways in which they are financed.

Explain the tax and financial reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Apply the principles of managing current assets and current liabilities to different types of business entities.

Assess the existence of management problems or opportunities by analyzing company financial statements and making comparisons to other companies in the same industry.

This course examines strategic human resource functions performed in organizations. It includes planning, job analysis and design, job description, recruiting and hiring, training, performance management, regulation, evaluation, benefits, and labor law. Trends impacting the field are examined, including the use of technology in managing human resource functions, and the role of human resources in a global business environment.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course explores the concepts and theories of management and their application in today's managerial environment. It examines the essential functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. MG307 may be taken instead of this course.

This course emphasizes leadership concepts related to directing and coordinating human and material resources for relatively short-term projects that have been established to complete specific goals and objectives. The skills and procedures needed to take a project from definition through completion are presented.

This course examines the relevance and application of critical thinking and decision making techniques for leadership and management in various organizations. Students identify and evaluate their own leadership and management capabilities. The course focuses on eliciting new leadership insights, and on improving problem solving and decision-making skills. Finally, the course emphasizes the skills leaders and managers in organizations need to articulate reasoned solutions to organizational problems and opportunities.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers as problem solvers in organizations.

Assess the decision-making challenges facing leaders and managers in various organizational settings.

Utilize critical thinking as an imaginative process in organizational leadership and management.

This course examines forensic accounting and the procedures used to review and identify fraudulent transactions. Topics include fraud audit techniques, policies and safeguards for the prevention of fraud, and the use of technology in the forensic audit process.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Distinguish between and discuss the various methods of possible fraud within the workplace.

Select the appropriate audit procedures to be followed in conducting a fraud audit.

Select and explain the areas of risk and exposure to fraud in a company situation

Describe the various remedies available to those who suffer a loss through fraud.

Analyze the ethical consequences of all aspects of fraud.

Discuss the effective internal controls meant to discourage, minimize, and prevent fraud within an organization.

Analyze various types of computer software, and relate the importance to conducting a forensic investigation.

This course is designed to give students the foundations of financial accounting and reporting practices used by decision makers in today's business environments. Financial accounting methods, the accounting cycle, internal controls, and accounting practices for different types of business entities are examined. Also examined are accounting for international operations, and the preparation of both domestic and international-based financial statements.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain the basic generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Describe the different types of accounting systems.

Evaluate the information generated by and obtained from company accounting records.

Apply knowledge of accounting principles, theories, and concepts to company transactions.

Analyze and explain the impact of a particular decision on the financial statement of an entity.

Identify the various reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Describe the accounting and reporting practices encountered in various international business entities.

This introductory course examines the legal context for business, including the legal and regulatory system, the law of contracts, property laws and torts, and forms of business organization, including partnerships and corporations. The course also introduces law and regulation which affect business activities, including employment law, securities, antitrust, bankruptcy, consumer protections, and environmental laws.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Recognize the variety of legal issues present in their day-to-day business dealings and transactions.

Understand how the American legal system functions with how it interrelates with and impacts the world of business and organizations.

Make business decisions which take into account legal considerations.

Describe methods used to protect themselves and their organizations from adverse legal consequences.

This course examines security and assets protection management in various industries and organizations. Security and assets protection management processes are examined. Also examined are the types of security organizations and entities, legal requirements, and security partnership. Theoretical and procedural frameworks for identifying and protecting institutional assets are presented. Also presented are strategies for recognizing risks and provided security case solution.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify the roles of private sector security professionals in various institutions.

Explain the operational and legal differences between public law enforcement and private sector security.

Identify the essential elements of criminal, civil, human resource, and other types of investigations.

Assess the effectiveness of various security systems and designs.

Describe the techniques and technologies used for employee protection practices.

Appraise the level or risk to various institutional assets such as intellectual and physical property, products, people technologies, information, and reputation.

Recognize the various ethical implications inherent to security management.

Evaluate risk management best practices for situations and events.

Examine the importance the public law enforcement and private sector security partnerships.

This course provides a context for understanding the information technology industry. Trends in the industry and viable career options are identified and explored. Important technological shifts in the industry are examined. The fundamentals of career management and self-identification of a specialized and marketable segment of the information technology industry are covered.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify and discuss key trends within the IT industry.

Evaluate the implications of IT trends as they relate to the student's career path.

Identify and describe the key components of the IT field.

Develop an actionable career plan.

Develop an effective resume and cover letter.

Identify and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of a consulting career.

This course provides an overarching model for information assurance for businesses, government agencies, and other enterprises needing to establish a comprehensive security plan. The components of security and protection against the most current security vulnerabilities are covered. Topics include asset identification, human factors, personnel security, risk assessment, ethical considerations, and computer and network security tools and methods.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Articulate the concept of information assurance.

Complete a security risk assessment.

Articulate the concept of footprinting.

Identify and protect against personnel and physical security threats, understanding the potential impact these threats can have on a business.

Demonstrate the ability to perform network scanning.

Identify and protect against basic network security threats.

Apply cryptology principles and methods.

Identify and protect against wireless network security threats.

Identify the functions of a firewall in order to protect against vulnerabilities

Explain the particulars of a Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and the countermeasures necessary to thwart them.

This course provides an introduction to the legal, technical, and investigative skills necessary to consider a career in computer forensics. Topics include the legal foundations for proper handling of traditional and electronic evidence, investigative tools and procedures, and an examination of large-scale attacks such as identity theft, fraud, phishing, extortion, and malware infections. The basics of conducting a computer forensics investigation, finding hidden data, and evaluating common computer forensic tools are covered.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Respond to live incidents in both Windows and UNIX environments.

Determine whether a security attack has occurred.

Assemble a toolkit for use at the scene of a computer-related crime.

Analyze volatile data, nonvolatile data, and files of unknown origin.

Safely perform and document forensic duplications.

Describe how data is organized, the booting process, and the hard disk technology utilized by modern computers.

This course examines workplace violence as it relates to organizations, employees and public safety responders. Topics include internal and external acts of violence, legal aspects, organizational influences, prevention, and response strategies.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Define and identify various types of workplace violence.

Relate history of workplace violence to cultural context of the organization.

This course examines forensic accounting and the procedures used to review and identify fraudulent transactions. Topics include fraud audit techniques, policies and safeguards for the prevention of fraud, and the use of technology in the forensic audit process.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Distinguish between and discuss the various methods of possible fraud within the workplace.

Select the appropriate audit procedures to be followed in conducting a fraud audit.

Select and explain the areas of risk and exposure to fraud in a company situation

Describe the various remedies available to those who suffer a loss through fraud.

Analyze the ethical consequences of all aspects of fraud.

Discuss the effective internal controls meant to discourage, minimize, and prevent fraud within an organization.

Analyze various types of computer software, and relate the importance to conducting a forensic investigation.

This course is designed to give students the foundations of financial accounting and reporting practices used by decision makers in today's business environments. Financial accounting methods, the accounting cycle, internal controls, and accounting practices for different types of business entities are examined. Also examined are accounting for international operations, and the preparation of both domestic and international-based financial statements.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explain the basic generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Describe the different types of accounting systems.

Evaluate the information generated by and obtained from company accounting records.

Apply knowledge of accounting principles, theories, and concepts to company transactions.

Analyze and explain the impact of a particular decision on the financial statement of an entity.

Identify the various reporting requirements for different types of business entities.

Describe the accounting and reporting practices encountered in various international business entities.

This course provides a context for understanding the information technology industry. Trends in the industry and viable career options are identified and explored. Important technological shifts in the industry are examined. The fundamentals of career management and self-identification of a specialized and marketable segment of the information technology industry are covered.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify and discuss key trends within the IT industry.

Evaluate the implications of IT trends as they relate to the student's career path.

Identify and describe the key components of the IT field.

Develop an actionable career plan.

Develop an effective resume and cover letter.

Identify and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of a consulting career.

This course provides an introduction to the legal, technical, and investigative skills necessary to consider a career in computer forensics. Topics include the legal foundations for proper handling of traditional and electronic evidence, investigative tools and procedures, and an examination of large-scale attacks such as identity theft, fraud, phishing, extortion, and malware infections. The basics of conducting a computer forensics investigation, finding hidden data, and evaluating common computer forensic tools are covered.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Respond to live incidents in both Windows and UNIX environments.

Determine whether a security attack has occurred.

Assemble a toolkit for use at the scene of a computer-related crime.

Analyze volatile data, nonvolatile data, and files of unknown origin.

Safely perform and document forensic duplications.

Describe how data is organized, the booting process, and the hard disk technology utilized by modern computers.

This course provides an in depth examination of the technical tools and techniques utilized by computer forensics examiners. Topics include criminal timeline recreation, evidence recovery, and the most current PDA and cell phone investigative techniques. The focus is on deployment of an effective case management strategy to collect material, document findings, and archive results; the use of forensic tools to uncover obscured code, file mismatches, and invalid signatures; and the extraction of client and Web-based email artifacts using industry recognized tools.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Collect and analyze network-based evidence in Windows and UNIX environments.

This course examines the use of forensic science methodologies in the examination of crime scenes. It addresses the use of forensic science to aid in the investigation of crimes. Students learn to apply these principles to conduct ethical and objective examinations of crime scenes. Foundational principles in the use of science in a variety of criminal investigations are be discussed and applied.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following: